Elick Joins 100 Top Prospects at NHL Combine

June 3, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release

There are certain milestones on the road to the NHL draft for every top prospect, and so far Charlie Elick is hitting every single one.

He won a gold medal with Team Canada at the Hlinka-Gretzky Cup in August, took part in the CHL Top Prospects Game in January and the on-ice testing that ran right before it, then led Canada to another gold medal at the World Under-18s in April. The next milestone on the list: the NHL Draft Combine.

Held annually in Buffalo, the combine gathers together 100 of the top prospects for the draft and puts them through the paces. Fitness testing at this event is one of the biggest components of it, and has historically been intense. Events like the VO2 max are infamous for pushing prospects to the limit.

Another aspect of the combine is interviews. Players can sit down with as many as all 32 teams and be asked questions ranging from the hockey-focused to the occasionally bizarre (scouts have previously asked players things like whether they would rather have a book or a gun to pass an afternoon).

After a season in which he put up 27 points in 65 games (25 of those points at even strength), Elick is firmly on the radar for NHL scouts. Pre-draft rankings on him fluctuate, but even the lowest rankings for him have him well inside the second round. He has been ranked in the first round on many lists throughout the season.

The combine runs from June 2 to June 8. The first round of this year's NHL Entry Draft will take place in Las Vegas on Friday, June 28, while rounds two through seven will take place the next day.

When Elick is selected, it will mark the second season in a row a Wheat Kings has been chosen in the annual selection process.

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